2011/03/19

Journal1

Journal1

Learning and teaching a second language is not quite easy thing especially to the children who are in elementary school. Their attention span is shorter than adults’, so giving interest for studying English is important. However, most of English phonics academies have the classes which include a lot of doing workbooks and memorizing words. That makes the learners more bored in learning phonics. What is worse, the words the learners memorize without any relationship with their own real-life are more difficult to learn. To help my younger brother who has been difficulties in studying phonics, I will make three suggestions for him: (1) Motivating the learner to attract attention for their phonics, (2) doing meaningful and authentic works, (3) Practicing in real-life context.

First of all, it is important to draw an interest for learning phonics. I will give some expectation of studying phonics. For example, I’ll say “if you know 43 phonics rules, you can read and speak aloud almost every English word. How amazing it is!” As I mentioned, children’s attention span is relatively short, so I have to check the learner’s attention of degree of understanding at that moment. Phonics textbooks usually consist of so many words which are related with certain part of pronunciation. We can often find that organization in the books. I think it is more helpful that the learner is taught through the passage or short paragraph which includes phonics words they learned than they learn individual list of words. If the topic of the short text is learner-related of their interesting theme, it will be more effective learning.

Using this drawing the learner’s attention, I can continue the phonics learning with more meaningful phonics works. There are various kinds of activity about phonics practice. Basically, substitute pattern practice, chant, simple games are representative. Among those things, Game is quite helpful to my brother who wants to study phonics more funny and easy. It is an effective learning way to begin the words which is more familiar and intimate to the learner. With the Phonics Game, the learner will learn all 44 sounds as well as 43 spelling rules. He will not realize how much he is learning, because he will be so engaged in the play.

Connection phonic learning and practice in the real-life is also important for better learning. After learning the content of phonics, the learner can practice with their own words. Family, food, and hobby he likes can be very useful categories to exercise phonics reading.

Doing this, considering learner’s characteristics or interests the instructor can teach the learner more effectively. To the learner, it will be very fun and interesting learning if they learn phonics with familiar things in meaningful context.


댓글 1개:

  1. Dear Goeun

    You giv us some good insight for teaching reading to young learners. Thank you for sharing your idea.

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